The new Kindle ditches the bezel in a push toward a smaller, lighter e-reader

Amazon is giving the Kindle its most significant physical redesign in years, introducing a refreshed lineup of e-readers built around a deceptively simple idea: getting rid of the bezel.

The redesigned Kindle unveiled Thursday replaces the traditional raised bezel surrounding the display with a flush-front design, creating a cleaner, more seamless look. But bezels also give readers a place to rest their fingers without accidentally touching the screen and triggering a page turn or another touchscreen command. Amazon says it has designed around that problem.

At a press briefing, Kevin Keith, Amazon’s vice president of devices, said the company is using “Cap” (capacitive) touch technology and haptics to create what he describes as a “dead zone.” As a reader grips the Kindle, the device detects where a finger is resting and adjusts the touch-sensitive area accordingly.